Hebrews 9:16-10:18

English Standard Version

¹⁶ For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. ¹⁷ For ^(A)a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. ¹⁸ Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated ^(B)without blood. ¹⁹ For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took ^(C)the blood of calves and goats, ^(D)with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, ^(E)“This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” ²¹ And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both ^(F)the tent and all the vessels used in worship. ²² Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and ^(G)without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

²³ Thus it was necessary for ^(H)the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ has entered, not into holy places ^(I)made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God ^(J)on our behalf. ²⁵ Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as ^(K)the high priest enters ^(L)the holy places every year with blood not his own, ²⁶ for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, ^(M)he has appeared ^(N)once for all ^(O)at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷ And just as ^(P)it is appointed for man to die once, and ^(Q)after that comes judgment, ²⁸ so Christ, having been offered once ^(R)to bear the sins of ^(S)many, will appear ^(T)a second time, ^(U)not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly ^(V)waiting for him.

Christ's Sacrifice Once for All

10 For since the law has but ^(W)a shadow ^(X)of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, ^(Y)it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? ³ But ^(Z)in these sacrifices ^(AA)there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For ^(AB)it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵ Consequently, ^(AC)when Christ^[a] came into the world, he said,

⁸ When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in ^(AE)sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), ⁹ then he added, ^(AF)“Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will ^(AG)we have been sanctified through the offering of ^(AH)the body of Jesus Christ ^(AI)once for all.

¹¹ And every priest stands ^(AJ)daily at his service, ^(AK)offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, ^(AL)which can never take away sins. ¹² But when Christ^[b] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he ^(AM)sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time ^(AN)until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. ¹⁴ For by a single offering ^(AO)he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

¹⁵ And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

¹⁷ then he adds,

¹⁸ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.